The Most Common Home Renovation and Remodeling Mistakes

Renovating your home takes a lot of planning. Even slight upgrades must be thoroughly planned before you begin picking paint swatches and new flooring. Unfortunately, there are more than a few mistakes that homeowners commonly make while renovating their homes. Check the most common ones below to avoid making costly mistakes.

Setting an Unrealistic Budget

Speaking of costly mistakes, the biggest mistake that homeowners usually make involves setting their budget. In general, home improvement projects cost more than the typical homeowner’s first estimates. To help create a more accurate budget, build in an extra 20% to be prepared for surprise expenses.

Being Too Trendy

It’s fun and exciting to give your home a new look, but there is a difference between giving your home an updated facelift and choosing a short-lived design style. Be careful not to go too crazy with costly design changes that won’t last and keep your home’s resale value in mind.

Picking Out Appliances Last

Choosing appliances isn’t just important to consider how they will look within your updated home, but also how they fit in with cabinets, countertops, and flooring. You can pick your appliances ahead of time, but wait to buy them until you are ready to have them installed.

Patching Over Bigger Problems

Band-aid solution for foundational or structural issues. Updating electrical work. Subflooring is sound. This way, you won’t have to break through freshly painted walls or newly lain flooring to fix a bigger problem later on.

Choosing Contractors on a Whim

It’s important to thoroughly vet your contractor. Talk to previous clients, read reviews, and interview contractors before you decide to hire them. Remember that price isn’t the only consideration–the cheapest contractor isn’t always the best option. Ask about the materials they use, the layout, and the construction process. Most importantly, make sure the contractor you choose understands your goals and what you are looking for in your home improvement project.

Not Investing in Materials

Choosing lower-quality materials might save you money initially, but over time, these cheaper products will likely either need to be replaced sooner or create higher utility bills. For example, much of a home’s energy loss happens because of faulty seals around windows and doors. Investing in quality doors and windows–and a quality contractor to install them–will save you more money and improve your home’s value.

Working Without a Permit

Many homeowners begin a project without getting the proper permits simply because they don’t realize they need one. Of course, a contractor worth his weight will be able to help you with acquiring the proper permits. Otherwise, keep your project on task by checking with your local municipal department. Even after they are completed, projects built without a permit are often torn down.

If you are looking to begin a home improvement project, get expert help and professional craftsmanship from start to finish with Minnesota Home Improvements. Check out some of our past projects here.